Property, at least its all relative!

We took our property final today. In case you’re wondering how it went we went to the bar right after the final. And after the pitcher of beer it’s not exactly like we’re feeling better about the exam, it’s just that we don’t care as much any more.

My professor model his exam after the BAR exam. We had one section that was multiple choice, one essay section and one “performance” section. The multiple choice was 33 questions and we had 1.8 minutes to do each question. The multiple choice questions themselves weren’t hard, but the answers presented were enough to drive me to drinking. The questions went something like this:

O conveyed Blackacre to B so long as used for a some really inane and if not to Susie so long as Susie never smokes crack if she does to Ted. Allen adversely posses the upper left quadrant of Blackacre while B then sells the lower right section to LaShawnda. Allen then sells the upper third of his section to Billy. What is the status of Susie’s claim:

[6 answers that could all be right or could all be wrong]

Choose One:

A: 1,3,4,5 but not 2 and sometimes 6

B: 6 in New Jersey; 4 & 5 in a community property state but not 2 in England in 1600

C: 1 & 4 if under the policy argument of Sawada, 2 in state that employs the destruction of contingent remainders rule but not 6 if the state is community property

D: All of the above

E: None of the above

After 33 of these mind numbing questions it was on to my “performance” exam. We were given a case that we had never read before and we had to analyze and discuss it. It wasn’t too horrible, and the Essay was to discuss everything we thought was wrong with American property law. (It was hard not to mention any of the prof’s questions in this category).His’ final was tough too. The multiple choice weren’t as bad but his essays were tough.

The moral of all of this story to all of you who own real property and substantial chattels: Please, Please, Please make sure that you have a will! And make sure that your will is correct, lest you run the risk of being studied in a future law student’s book on property. That is all!